ENTER the dragon has taken on a whole new meaning in the film world after ambitious plans for a &#xA3;300m movie studio complex and leisure park came a step closer to reality.

Film stars like Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts could soon be pointing their limos over the Severn Bridge to head for Dragon International Studios, on the outskirts of Bridgend, as the proposed ultra-modern studio, housing and theme park complex would be called.

Dubbed "Llanharanwood" the plans to transform a 350-acre former opencast pit into a rival for Hollywood and England's Pinewood and Shepperton Studios creating 2,000 jobs, have come from a consortium made up of Welsh-based Fairfield Studios and Cheshire company Westair Properties.

This week, councillors in Bridgend saw the project, which could qualify for lucrative Objective One funding, through its latest hurdle when they gave it their blessing.

Rhondda Cynon Taff will be the planning authority, but it needs agreement from its neighbouring authority on whose land the giant studio and film theme park will touch.

The new Welsh studios, which have the backing of movie-making legend Lord Attenborough, will be designed with the most advanced equipment and services able to support full-length feature films, television production and commercials.

American film stars and producers are known to favour British-based film projects because of the artistic and technical expertise here, together with a common language and certain tax concessions.

But Llanharanwood could also become a mecca for commercial makers, producers of educational films and television producers as well as British film makers.

RCT's cabinet member for economic development, Jonathan Huish, has said the development could provide a significant-opportunity for the whole area and link closely with the council's Objective One Partnership strategy.

Project spokesman Brian Willot, former chief executive of the WDA said, "This will put Wales on the map globally for film making."

Lord Attenborough said on launching the project, "It's a wonderful project which I believe is wholly worth being pursued."

Yvonne Cheal, of the South Wales Film Commission, said, "The reason more big movies are not being made in Wales is because we simply do not have the facilities.

"We get a lot of inquiries from Hollywood but they look at Wales for filming exterior shots and base themselves in somewhere like Pinewood. This way we would get the cherry and the bun with all aspects of production taking place in Wales."

The leisure park, to have a film theme and featuring cinemas, bowling alleys and dining and other leisure facilities, is expected to attract more than a million visitors a year.

There are also plans to build 2,000 new homes in the area, including luxury housing for executives.

One of the recent film successes in Wales has included Very Annie Mary, shot in Rhondda. And Hollywood's Swansea-born star Catherine Zeta Jones's production company Milkwood-Films has announced plans to shoot its rugby comedy Coming Out in Wales with Welsh film director Sara Sugarman at the helm.

Rock star Mick Jagger's production company Jagged Films has also announced plans to film a biopic of Dylan Thomas in West Wales.

When it comes to the proposed new film studios, on the site of the old Llanilid opencast mine near Llanharan, councillors in Bridgend have backed the scheme but want assurances how the massive increase in traffic would be handled, particularly around junction 36 of the M4.

Bridgend County Borough Council planning officer Martin Hooker said the scheme had top priority for Objective One funding and would create jobs in Bridgend and RCT. But he said the plans for 2,000 new homes would have a profound effect on local highways, he said. Hollywood style

LLANHARANWOOD will have a lot to live up to if it wants to compete with the original Tinsel Town.

Former mining village Llanharan has a population of just 2,000, while the Beverly Hills area alone houses 33,000.

But according to long-term Llanharan resident Gerald Waters, a former local councillor, shopping has never really taken off in the village.

Any stars basing themselves at Llanharanwood are more likely to head for the McArthurGlen Designer Village at Bridgend or city centres in Cardiff and Swansea just down the M4.

When it comes to food the movie makers might be more used to places such as Il Fornaio (The Baker) on Beverly Drive but in the Bridgend area they have the Ogmore Vale Bakery in which to enjoy their lunch.

For nightlife, there is the likes of The Turbeville and the High Corner Hotel in Llanharran.

When it comes to dining out there is one similarity, but in name only.

The shopping and eating area of Beverly Hills is known as the Golden Triangle while Bridgend has its Brackla Triangle, including a Chinese and Indian takeaways, a chip shop, supermarket and betting shop.